Three things made the hand – over of the new DSWD Field Office VIII Regional Director in last Monday’s affair worth remembering. 
 At the Sophia’s Way of the Leyte Park Hotel in Tacloban City, outgoing OIC – Regional Director, Yvonne Serrano – Abonales, passed on to incoming Regional Director, Marie Angela Gopalan, the DSWD Field Office VIII flag. 
 The flag bears the hands that symbolizes care for the welfare of the people – workers and beneficiaries alike, and the heart, for passion for service.
Then, the Key of Responsibility which stands for trust and confidence in carrying on the programs and services of the Field Office. 
 Lastly, the red vest which speaks of the commitment of the men and women of the Department to uplift the lives of many marginalized and vulnerable Filipinos.
Director Gopalan, in the opening of her acceptance speech, stated, “it is a pleasure to be part of this team and I, too, will have to do justice to my position, seeing how you have worked so hard.”
She continued by saying, “We’re facing challenging times and responding to it can come at great personal cost. Despite this, we need to always give what the department deserves.”
Director Gopalan, in all humility, also told the DSWD Field Office VIII staff, “ I don’t know how to be a Regional Director. Teach me.”
The newly-installed official has been with the DSWD Central Office for almost 16 years – with the Human Resource and Development Bureau (HRDB), the Social Welfare Institutional Development Bureau, and the National Household Targeting Office. 
 This is her first Field Office assignment #